in
"After Hours"
by
Aaron Storck
|
June 3, 2003 Sal's Place "So what do YOU think of all this? It seems a bit tacky, if you ask me," Vortex asked, holding the door open for his friend. "You've never lived in L.A., have you?" Dyna Girl replied with a smile, stepping into the air-conditioned cafe / lounge. The idea that it always rained in Seattle was a myth (she discovered early on) told to keep people away... particularly New Yorkers and Californians. It did get warm in the summer months and rarely rained, which made for some nice days. However, because it tended to be cooler than most of the southern climes, few people had air conditioning... which was really lousy on a surprisingly hot, muggy, humid June evening. Like the myth about the rain, Dyna Girl had discovered early on in her days in Seattle that Sal's had "a/c" as well as a great breakfast. Sal's marked the northern tip of what Seattlites called "Insomnia Boulevard" which stretched from the International District, along First Avenue, past Safeco Field and about a half dozen all night coffee shops and a 24-hour bookstore. "The Boulevard" was frequented by readers, writers, and people either starting or finishing a day working jobs that demanded all kinds of odd hours - including cops, who knew about Sal's for years before Dyna Girl arrived in Seattle. "Hi, Sarah," Dyna Girl said, smiling to the waitress behind the counter. The woman in her late thirties looked up from her order pad and returned the smile. Noticing the good-looking blonde man with the lightning bolt emblazoned across his chest stepping through the doorway behind her, Sarah smiled a bit more. "Hey, D.G. I'll be with you in a second." She returned to her pad, glancing up again briefly at the handsome newcomer who now stood next to his Forte teammate. "No hurry, Sarah." "I take it you're a regular here," Vortex observed with a sarcastic look. "Yeah, I like to...oof!!!!!" Dyna Girl's response was cut short by the large man that was wrapping his arms around the heroine's stomach. He had come in the door after the two Forte heroes and now had Dyna Girl clutched in a bear hug. "What the...?" Paul Seaborn, a.k.a. Vortex, said, startled. He turned to face the surprise attacker. "I'll give you to the count of 'three' to move those hands, buddy," Dyna Girl said with a smile. When the man released her, the young heroine turned and repayed him with a hug of her own. "Is today the day, Baines?" Sergeant Antoine Baines, Seattle PD, smiled at the brunette superhero. "Yeah. Thirty years on the force... where does the time go?" The large, graying black man chuckled. He noticed Vortex looking at him. The aging police officer recognized the look on the blonde hero's face - it was the same look he'd seen from fellow officers throughout the years - one that was carefully, quietly sizing up another person, thoughtfully observing, and looking for anything unusual. "Hey, you're the new guy, right?" Baines said with an extended hand and a warm smile. "Sorry," Dyna Girl said, removing her arm from Baines' waist. "Sergeant Antoine Baines, this is my friend Vortex." The speedster took the offered hand and Baines watched the man relax his guard. "Nice to meet you, Vortex." "Same here, Sergeant. Congrats on the retirement." "He ain't retiring," a voice said from a booth next to the door, "they're kickin' his old ass out." The two Forte heroes turned at the voice as Baines politely pushed past the younger two toward the booth. Seated was a tanned bald man in his mid-fifties wearing a suit and tie. Baines looked over his shoulder at Vortex. "Do you mind calling 911? This fella's gonna need a stretcher in about five minutes." The seated man stood up and faced off against Baines. "Ain't never been able to take me, 'Tony." He tossed his coat onto one of the booth seats, revealing a shoulder rig and a large revolver. "Maybe not," Baines replied, "but I'm still younger and better looking." The other man, failing to keep a straight face, broke into a wide grin and embraced his friend. "Good to see you, buddy. It's been a while." "Glad you could make it, Nicky." Baines turned back to Vortex and Dyna Girl. "Hey, come here, you two. I want you to meet Nick Verducci. We went through the academy together." Turning back to Verducci, Baines corrected himself, "I guess I should say 'Special Agent Nick Verducci'," overly emphasizing the title "Special Agent." The F.B.I. man ignored his friend and shook hands with each of the brightly-clad heroes. "Just call me Nick. I have ANOTHER name for Baines over there... at least it RHYMES with 'Nick.'" Baines let loose a good belly roar and grabbed a seat in the booth vacated by his friend. Verducci sat down as well and scooted toward the end, allowing room for the two heroes to sit. He put his coat on the window sill that made up one end of the booth. “You two have a minute to sit?” Baines asked. “Um... just a minute,” Vortex said, taking a seat next to Special Agent Verducci. “I’ve got to get a few hours sleep in before work.” Dyna Girl sat next to Baines and looked Vortex in the eye. “Most guys I know are ready for work in about 20 minutes if they hustle. How long does it take YOU,“Mr. I-Can-Move-At-The-Speed-Of-Sound?” Speechless, Vortex turned to the two older men, looking for sympathy. “See what I have to deal with?” Antoine Baines laughed and looked across the table at his friend. “Hey, Nick, I have to tell you what D.G. got me for a retirement gift.” Nick Verducci saw Holly Wood, the woman known to most of the world as Dyna Girl, blush slightly. “What was it?” The Seattle PD sergeant looked slightly to his right to acknowledge Dyna Girl, smiling. “A set of Callaway woods. Graphite shafts.” “Son of a bitch,” Verducci responded. “Actually, Sarge,” Dyna Girl responded, “those clubs are a retirement gift for your WIFE. I felt bad that she was going to be stuck with you at home all day. Had to get you out of the house somehow.” Both Baines and Verducci laughed. Vortex got a nice chuckle. Sarah, the waitress that had greeted them, came up to the table looking a bit frazzled. “Sorry, everyone. Been a bit crazy tonight. Amber’s stuck out at Southcenter with a flat, waiting for the auto club,” Sarah explained. “Her lug wrench was missing from her trunk. “Anyway,” Sarah said with as much of a smile as she could muster, “what can I get you?” “I’ll take a bagel toasted to go in about 15 minutes,” Vortex said, standing. “Sarge, can I get the lug wrench from the back of your car? I’ll have it right back to you.” Fishing in his pocket, Baines flipped him the keys. “That’s real nice of you, son,” Baines smiled up at Vortex. “Need help?” Dyna Girl asked, starting to stand. “Only if the jack is missing,” Paul Seaborn said with a dazzling smile. “Be back in a few.” With that Vortex disappeared from the restaurant. The trunk of Baines’ car could be seen opening and closing quickly from the window the three sat in front of. Sarah leaned close to Dyna Girl and said in a quiet voice, “You make sure to bring THAT one by again.” The brunette heroine smiled, “You bet, Sarah.” Standing again, the waitress looked at the table of three. “Now, what can I do for the rest of you? The usual, D.G.?” “Just coffee for me, Sarah.” The waitress looked to Verducci and Baines. “Coffee for now,” the retiring officer said and his friend affirmed with a nod. “Fine... make me come back twice,” the older woman said with a smile. “Be right back.” Sarah turned from the table and headed for the kitchen. Dyna Girl turned her attention to the melodic beep emanating from the large sliver button on her left glove. The subtle display indicated that it was Vortex calling. She stood and excused herself. Stepping outside, Holly lifted the glove to her mouth and replied, “Dyna Girl.” “Um.. yeah... the spare is flat... and no jack either,” Vortex’s voice said over the comm line. “I’m locking on your signal, Vortex.” Dyna Girl stuck her head back inside the coffee shop door. “Hey Sarah,” she called, “keep that coffee warm. We’ll be right back.” Stepping back outside, Holly Wood lifted gently into the warm early morning sky, watched by the two law enforcement officers. Also watching the scarlet-clad heroine fly off, David Trent soon turned back to his laptop and began frenetically typing. No one in the diner really paid him much attention, he was sure. The young man preferred his anonymity.
"More coffee, hun?" Sarah asked, poised with the glass coffee pot ready to pour. "Huh?" Trent said, looking up from his laptop, lost in his work. "OH! Yeah. Thanks. Just one more." Sarah poured the coffee. "Anything else I can get you?" she asked. She recognized him as a monthly regular, always poised behind his computer, and more interested in the people that came through the door than what was on the menu. At least he was a good tipper, which made up for his "camping out" for hours on end. "You know what?" the young man said, looking up at the waitress. "I think I'd like a bagel... toasted, if that's okay." The woman, not remembering the last time he'd actually made eye contact with her, responded with a warm smile, "Not a problem. Cream cheese or butter?" "Cream cheese," David Trent said authoritatively. Why not walk on the wild side for a change? Fifteen minutes after Vortex left, he dashed into the cafe lobby cradling the stranded waitress in his arms, setting her down once they arrived. Soon after, her car landed in the parking lot of Sal's, courtesy of Dyna Girl, who was carrying it on her shoulder and gently set the 1992 Plymouth Laser down in a parking spot. Once she had carefully set the car down, Vortex once again held to door open for Dyna Girl and the pair retreated into the inviting air-conditioned coffee shop. The 24-year-old Amber, having quickly brushed her windblown hair (courtesy of Vortex), rushed up to the blonde hero and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks again!" Vortex gently hugged the woman. "I couldn't leave you stranded," he said with another devistating smile, "and I certainly couldn't leave Sarah at the mercy of those two," he said, pointing at the two cops while tossing Baines his keys. "Thank you for that!" the older waitress replied with a grin as she headed to a corner table, holding a tray. Paul Seaborn, formerly of Gotham City P.D., currently of Forte, glanced after the waitress, noting a young dark-haired man peering over the top of his computer. Upon making eye contact, Vortex saw the youth immediately duck back behind his computer. He turned back to his friend who had once again approached the two cops seated in the window booth. He stood back for a few minutes, listening politely to their friendly banter before speaking, "Hey, Dyna Girl, can I talk to you for a second?" She turned with a wicked grin. "A 'Dyna Girl second,' or a 'Vortex second?'" Vortex once again pleaded to the amused law enforcement officers. "I can't win. Shoot me." Holly stepped away from the table, hearing the two men get a good laugh from Vortex's last comment. She followed her teammate back to the door of the coffee shop. She joined Vortex in the glass-walled enclosure between the exterior and interior doors. "What's up?" "Try not to be obvious and look around, but the guy with the laptop in the corner is watching us." "David Allen Trent," she said, looking at Vortex, never glancing at the youngster in question. "Age 20. Date of birth is November 11, 1982. He's a part-time student at River Valley Community College. He mainly supports himself as a computer network contractor. He lives in West Seattle and if you look over your right shoulder, that's his Silver '98 Honda Accord parked in the far corner of the lot." The heroine enjoyed the look on her friend's face for a moment before she continued. "Oh, and he runs a blog called 'Heroic City.' Sorry, I should have told you." Paul broke into a slight grin, "And how do you know all this?" "Vanguard." The speedster's grin evolved into a good chuckle, "So all those stories are true? He really knows what's going on everywhere?" "Pretty much. My friend Ken says that I should try to sleep with tin foil around my head so he can't read my mind at night," the young heroine said with a smile. "Personally, I don't think it would work." "So isn't it unnerving being stalked like that?" Vortex asked. "By who? Vanguard or Dave Trent?" Both burst out laughing when Vortex paused. "By our young Mr. Trent. He's trying to get photos of us with his camera phone as we speak." "He's actually a very thoughtful guy. He constantly encourages donations and volunteerism for various Forte Museum and Forte Foundation events on his blog. I've seen him at three or four events and according to my dad, he helped raise over fourteen thousand dollars for the Forte Foundation through his blog and personal fundraising." Holly grew silent for a second. "He thinks we're good people. That's all." Before Vortex could respond, Dyna Girl added with a smile, "You have quite a lot of fans there." She turned away from Vortex, who stood there with a slightly curious look and went back into the diner. She walked over to the table occupied by the two cops. "We're gonna have to call it a night, boys." Holly turned to the counter. "Hey Sarah, I'm going to have to get that coffee to go." "Just a sec, Dyna Girl," the waitress replied. "Thanks again, kiddo," Baines said, getting out of his seat. He gave Dyna Girl another hug. Sarah approached the table with a paper sack in each hand, which she promptly handed over to the two heroes. "Here you go. On the house." Dyna Girl reached into the hidden pouch in the cuff of her left glove and produced a couple of twenty dollar bills that she offered to the waitress. "That's okay Sarah." The woman smiled and declined politely. "Look, you two did me a HUGE favor. Your money's no good here." "Feels like there's more than coffee in here," Vortex said hefting the bag for effect, and in the blink of an eye, produced a matching pair of bills seemingly out of thin air. "Besides, Amber might need cab fare home or something." Sarah didn't move toward the cash, but instead sighed heavily, indicating that she was holding her ground. "Don't you two know what 'On the House' means?" "Nope," Vortex said with a blur that ended up with the money disappearing from the heroes' hands and reappearing in the woman's order pad. He resumed normal speed and gave Sarah a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks for the coffee." Dyna Girl turned to the two cops seated at the table. "Take care, fellas." Seaborn waved at the cops as he headed for the door. Pausing to turn over his shoulder, he smiled at Sarah. "Nice place you have here. I'll have to remember it." After the two were outside, Dyna Girl turned to her friend. "That was nice of you to give Sarah some money." "It was no big deal," Vortex said with a huge grin. "Besides it was YOUR money. I lifted it from your glove." Paul saw Holly's face begin to twist with that notorious Dyna Girl temper and he cut her off before she could erupt. "Hey, I couldn't look like a cheapskate in there, could I?" Dyna Girl's temper subsided and she burst out laughing. "Fine, but you owe me." She leaned toward Vortex with a wicked grin and jabbed her finger at him rather sharply in his chest. "You bring steaks to my next cookout... or I post photos of you on Mr. Trent's weblog. Some less than flattering photos." "Steaks it is," Paul said, rubbing the spot on his chest where Holly had poked him. "Ouch." The young woman grinned with a chortle. "Wimp. You off to bed?" "I wish. It's finals week. I have projects to grade," Vortex said with a sigh. "Hey, you two!" The pair of heroes turned toward the voice. It was Baines, leaning his head out the coffee shop door. "Hey, D.G., drop by my place sometime. You, me and the missus,
we'll barbecue." He saw Vortex standing off to the side. "And
bring your friends... they are my kind of people."
END.
|
